In the latest three-minute music video, Prudence, one of the six animated characters of the programme, meets a fortuneteller and learns that her future will be shaped from the choices she makes in the present day. With that in mind, she goes about her daily life around town and faces several choices related to money, which mirror real-life situations. Positive messages of self-investment and helping others are ingrained in the catchy tune and repeated lyrics “cha cha choose” and “cha cha choices.”

Prudence Foundation Executive Director Marc Fancy said, “Since its inception in 2011, Cha-Ching has made great strides to educate children about the concept and management of money. The catchy songs featured in the Cha-Ching videos aid understanding, memory and learnings of the key pillars of financial literacy education. They also highlight how sound money management skills can be practiced and honed not just early in life, but on a daily basis.”

Cha-Ching was created in partnership with Cartoon Network Asia and Dr. Alice Wilder, an Emmy award-winning children’s education specialist, in response to the need for improving financial literacy skills of children, specifically 7 to 12 year olds, in Asia. Since its launch, this first-of-its-kind programme has been praised for educating both children and adults on the importance of fostering money management habits early through a fun and relatable approach.

Cha-Ching currently airs across Asia through Cartoon Network in eight markets: Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan and through free-to-air TV in two markets: Cambodia and Myanmar, reaching 34 million households everyday. More than 250,000 children have participated in the classroom version of Cha-Ching Money Smart Kids at schools across the region.

The innovative programme is built around an integrated platform comprising several elements that respond to children’s learning needs and provide parents with a platform to have discussions with their children about money. Apart from the music videos, there is dedicated Cha-Ching website (www.cha-ching.com) with games and applications that engage children in real-life money management scenarios, online resources and at-home activities that parents can work through with children, as well as mobile applications that help children learn about money through play.

The programme has also expanded beyond households and into classrooms. In 2014, Prudence Foundation signed a partnership agreement with Junior Achievement Asia Pacific, one of the largest global NGOs dedicated to youth education and development, to develop and implement a school curriculum programme called “Cha-Ching Curriculum” across the region. The curriculum provides educators and volunteers with structured lesson to teach children the four key money concepts — Earn, Save, Spend and Donate — in a positive, engaging manner.

With an endorsement from the Department of Education in the Philippines, the Cha-Ching Curriculum was launched in the Philippines to 99 public and private schools for the academic year 2016/ 17 reaching over 40,000 students. The curriculum was launched in March this year in Malaysia and Indonesia to 100 and 467 schools respectively, and will be rolled out in stages to other markets in Asia.

Added Mr. Fancy, “Apart from Asia, Cha-Ching has also reached children from the United Kingdom, Poland and most recently the United States, and we are extremely heartened by the positive impact the programme is making globally. While financial literacy is not something that can be acquired overnight, Cha-Ching and Prudence Foundation will remain committed to providing the tools for children, parents and educators to help the adults of tomorrow become financially empowered.”

About the Author

Paul Linus - Paul Linus is an eminent online journalist who has been writing news, features and editorials on different websites from across the world for about a decade.